


The End Marks a New Beginning

by orphan_account



Category: A Series of Unfortunate Events - Lemony Snicket
Genre: Emotional Baggage, Family Feels, Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-09-06
Packaged: 2019-07-02 00:30:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15785265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: After Violet Baudelaire comes of age and her siblings have settled down, how can they find purpose in their idyllic lives and come to terms with their emotional baggage?  'Two birds with one stone' is a phrase which here means...I will add chapters if popular demand merits it.





	1. Back Where We Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Baudelaires have a heart to heart that leads to an epiphany. What will they do with their lives?

Violet Baudelaire and her siblings sat quietly on a tuft of wild grass at the rear of Briny Beach. She had just come of age, inheriting her family fortune to little fanfare. None of them were in a particularly celebratory mood that day, and the gray cloudy skies reflected that. Finally, Sunny, who had just turned five, spoke up.

“Vi, should I get the picnic basket from the jalopy?” she asked. “Prosciutto and tart lime gelato.”

“Thanks, Sunny,” she said, smiling faintly at her sister. “But I’m not hungry right now. How about you Klaus?”

The middle Baudelaire paused as he looked up from his copy of the Journal of the American Chemical Society. “No thank you, I prefer to digest knowledge right now. By the way Violet, have you written to the Quagmires lately? I heard Duncan was awarded a Pulitzer for his groundbreaking investigation of the City’s dysfunctional library system.”

“Really?” she said without much interest. “I guess it’s great that he’s doing so well for himself.”

Klaus bookmarked his page with a dogear fold and set the scientific publication down. His brows furrowed with worry at his sister’s tone of voice.

“Is something bothering you?” he asked carefully.

“Nothing, I suppose,” she huffed sarcastically. “Except all the kidnappings, murders and arson that led up to us inheriting our birthright. But other than that, I’m just peachy!” She shrugged wildly to emphasize her discontent.

“Please Violet, this isn’t like you,” Klaus said. “Do you want to talk about this in private?”

Despite her brother’s reassuring tone, Violet exploded with anger she didn’t even know she had repressed. “In private?! If there’s one thing we should have learned from our misfortunes, it’s that there are no secrets! Do you two know how hard it was on me, your older sister, to keep you alive and well through all this madness??”

Klaus laid a hand across his sister’s lap. “We know you’ve been through so much,” he said sincerely, trying to hold back his tears. “And so have we. But now we have our money, and we can start getting the help we need.”

“It’ll be for the best,” Sunny agreed.

Violet’s fury had subsided, but it was replaced by the shock of unintentionally harming her siblings’ emotions and re-exposing them to the darkness they had endured for so long.

“You are both right,” she agreed. “But the truth is, I realized that I didn’t want any of the fortune after a certain point. Probably after Aunt Josephine died, but definitely by the time the Squalors took us in. Do you know why?”

Klaus and Sunny both shook their heads.

“After Aunt Jo died, I realized that Count Olaf wasn’t messing around when he said he wouldn’t stop at anything to get our fortune. All that treachery and determination for what? A value that we ourselves didn’t comprehend. When we lived with Esme and Jerome, it just drove home how pointless mere wealth was. I don’t think I need to remind you both how wicked and cruel she was, never minding the fact that a penthouse that ornate is impractical.”

She didn’t need to remind them. Though the last of their tribulations with the VFD and its arsonists had expired years ago, the memories of their misadventures were branded into their minds for eternity. Esme Squalor had incidentally been sentenced to indefinite house arrest pending retrial after being convicted of numerous counts of larceny, tax evasion and conspiracy to embezzle funds from a public fundraiser while her ex-husband Jerome had been found dead in the Hinterlands following a “hunting accident”.

“We could always endorse philanthropy,” Klaus suggested. “Even if we donated the majority of our fortune, we could live comfortably off the rest for the remainder of our lives.”

“Study of optimists?” Sunny queried.

“Not Phil from Lucky Smells,” her brother explained. “Philanthropy is a word which here means ‘supporting your fellow man’. We could donate to one of the dozen charitable foundations based in the city, or the thousands worldwide.”

Violet remained silent for a bit as she digested the suggestion. Finally, she spoke with a greater resolve. “No, that won’t be sufficient.”

“Why on earth not?” Klaus asked.

“Think about what we’ve been through, Klaus,” she replied. “All the supposedly well-meaning adults in our lives protected our money or shadowy machinations. Neither got us anywhere but back in Olaf’s clutches.”

“What would you suggest we do?”

The eldest Baudelaire breathed deeply. She was unsure if her suggestion would be well received by her siblings, but she would pursue it herself if need be. There could only be so much misery in the world.

“I’d like to use our funds to purchase an unused building in the City and reconstruct it to be an orphanage. It’s the only thing that will stem the despair of children who walked similar paths to our own.”

Klaus and Sunny were silent for a moment, lost in their sister’s proposal. Finally, the latter responded by walking over and hugging her tightly.

“It’s perfect,” the youngest Baudelaire said, smiling brightly.

“We should get on it right away,” Klaus agreed. “I know a shortcut to Mulctuary Management, would you like me to drive us?”

“Actually, I’ll take the wheel,” Violet said confidently. “I can’t wait to see the look on Mr. Poe’s face when I roll up and make our first withdrawal.”

“It’ll probably be a cough instead of a look,” Klaus said snarkily.

The Baudelaires laughed quite uproariously as they made their way to the jalopy. This was the first of many happy glimmers in a tale that, I am happy to report, was a series of fortunate events for the former orphans.


	2. Mo' Money, Greater Difficulties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Baudelaires make their way to Mulctuary to finally withdraw their fortune and begin making a difference in the world. 
> 
> Sorry if this chapter is a little dry, I just need to set up some backstory for later. I promise things will get more exciting!

The Baudelaires rode in their jalopy, bearing with each bump and pothole as they made their way to the main road of The City. Violet sat in the driver’s seat while Klaus rode shotgun and Sunny was strapped in snugly to an infant seat in the rear. Unsurprisingly, the eldest Baudelaire personally designed a few modifications to this particular vehicle. These included a refrigerated trunk partially cooled by flowing air (which kept Sunny’s prepared picnic food at a consistent zero degrees Fahrenheit), a CB radio console for communications, and a mounted grappling hook on the front bumper for maneuvering in off-road areas. 

“I hope there isn’t too much traffic on the way,” Klaus said. “Even with the shortcut, the Financial District tends to be congested during the day.”

“We don’t need to worry about that,” Violet responded, unclipping the CB’s walkie-talkie from its holder. “Through this radio, I can contact other drivers in the area, including those that operate taxicabs and armored cash delivery vans.”

“Nickname?” asked Sunny.

“Mine is Hairbow,” her sister responded. “I don’t know all the others in the area, but I do know a few. I’ll call one up right now. Happy Face, this is Hairbow. How’s the traffic near the Fountain of Victorious Finance? Over.”

After a slight pause, a voice crackled over the console. “Hello Hairbow! The congestion is at an all time low, although that might just be me looking through rose colored glasses again. You stay safe out there! Over.”

“Roger that!” Violet called into the walkie-talkie.

“Wasn’t that Phil, from Lucky Smells?” Klaus noted. “I’d recognize that happy-go-lucky tone anywhere!”

Violet smiled. “Of course. After his stint as chef on the Queequeg, he managed to escape to the City via flotsam and began working as an armored car driver. Maybe he’s even headed to Mulctuary right now.”

The Baudelaires continued on the thoroughfare before turning off at an odd angle to a residential street. The briefly glimpsed the decrepit remains of Count Olaf’s former abode as they drove towards their destination.

“Isn’t it supposed to be up for demolition?” Klaus asked.

“The property hasn’t been purchased through eminent domain yet,” his older sister explained. “Some former associates of Olaf are contesting it in the High Court, claiming that the compensation isn’t enough.”

“Pigswill,” Sunny snorted.

While neither of the elder Baudelaires said anything to this effect, they silently agreed with Sunny’s remark. None of them had been offered any legal or civil compensation for the trauma they had suffered under such a cruel and ruthless man, and in fact had not even been allowed to access their own funds until recently. They could only take solace in the fact that the media circus surrounding their sudden arrival in The City following their stay on the island had subsided thanks to the swift action of Duncan Quagmire.

After two more turns and a brief ride through an alley riddled with potholes, the Baudelaires arrived at the grand entrance of Mulctuary Money Management. After parking on the curb and securing the jalopy with an electronic thumbprint scan, Violet led her siblings into the bank.

“Hello,” she said to the receptionist. “We’d like to meet with Mr. Poe, the executor of our parents’ will.”

“Do you have an appointment?” she droned, barely looking up from her work.

“No, but this is urgent,” Klaus replied. “It’s regarding a withdrawal.”

“Everything’s urgent with you youngsters, isn’t it?” she said condescendingly. “Poe to Main Lobby, Poe to Main Lobby.”

In less than a minute, a flamboyantly dressed Mr. Poe greeted the Baudelaires at the bottom of the central spiral staircase. 

“Violet, Klaus, Sunny!” he proclaimed joyously. “I’m so glad to see you three well and alive after your misadventures. And before I forget, a belated happy birthday to you, Violet.”

“Thank you, Mr. Poe,” the eldest Baudelaire replied politely, although she was sure Mr. Poe was being facetious.

“You’re welcome,” he replied, coughing briefly. “Now, what can I assist you with today?”

“I would like to make a full withdrawal of my accounts here,” Violet stated flatly. “In cash, of course.”

Mr. Poe paled uncharacteristically. He spontaneously coughed violently for a spell, then gathered the courage to reply to the young woman’s request.

“Erm, this is a most unusual request. Would you mind accompanying me to my office to arrange the particulars?”

“If my siblings can accompany me, of course.”

“Of course.”

In single file, the Baudelaires walked over to the staircase and ascended quickly, following their executor’s lead. They were led to a grand loft populated by office cubicles punctuated by a central office. 

“This seems to be quite an upgrade from your previous position, Mr. Poe,” Klaus remarked.

“Yes, indeed,” the banker replied. “I was promoted to Vice President of Trust Assets after surviving that dreadful hotel fire. This entire loft is dedicated to the staff and operations of my department.”

The group walked past hurried interns pushing carts of paperwork and several distraught children who were no doubt in a similar predicament to the one the Baudelaires had once been in themselves. Once they had entered the office and seated themselves, Mr. Poe explained his previous reluctance to process their transaction.

“You are, of course, the sole heiress of the Baudelaire fortune,” Mr. Poe began as he spoke to Violet. “And you are entitled to sum of your parents’ accounts. However, there simply isn’t enough cash present to fulfill a lump sum withdrawal.”

“What do you mean?” Klaus asked impatiently. “Our parents made withdrawals and deposits frequently when they were alive, and they never mentioned encountering such a problem.”

Mr. Poe paused for yet another coughing spell as he turned his computer monitor towards the Baudelaires.

“Displayed here are the balances of the accounts as of the date of inheritance, including accrued compound interest,” he explained. “The individual balances aren’t of much significance. However, the grand total is.”

He gestured to a bold, double underlined figure at the bottom left corner of the screen. Violet made no attempt to comprehend the vast sum displayed, but Klaus noted that it was comprised of no less than thirteen digits. Sunny simply gasped in awe, and her older siblings silently agreed.

“I doubt there is enough cash in every branch of Mulctuary Money Management to process this withdrawal,” Mr. Poe continued. “In fact, my secretary ran the numbers and said that liquidating all the real estate in The City could not produce this sum of money.”

Klaus sat silently, thinking. The middle Baudelaire had read a few books on finance and business before the fateful fire that had so drastically altered their lives. Finally, he formulated a solution.

“Mr. Poe, Mulctuary’s market cap is listed at nine trillion dollars, correct?”

“It’s closer to nine and a half, as of last week,” he quibbled.

“Whatever,” Klaus replied. “If Violet purchases a ten percent share in Mulctuary Money Management, can the remainder of our fortune be withdrawn in cash?”

The banker paused and typed the figures into his computer. After long minute of calculations, he nodded with approval.

“The stock purchase will take roughly a fortnight to process, but we can withdraw the cash remainder today,” he said. “I realize this isn’t my purview, but may I ask what you three plan on doing with your money?”

“Orphans!” Sunny cried out. “We want to help orphaned kids.”

Mr. Poe required no translation for Sunny’s remark. “In that case, the staff can escort you to the basement for the delivery of the money, if you prefer.”

“The basement?” Violet asked fearfully. She had a phobia of dark and confined spaces due to her experiences of being trapped within them during her childhood.

“Yes, for the garage housing the armored vans,” Klaus explained. “The largest denomination currently in circulation is the thousand dollar note. Our withdrawal would consist of at least hundred thousand of these, which might destroy the suspension of the jalopy if they even fit in the trunk.”

“That’s right, Klaus,” Mr. Poe agreed. “I’ll arrange for a courtesy valet to drive your car to your current residence. In the meantime, you three should get going.”

Without further ado, the Baudelaires walked out of the office and down the stairs of the grand loft at Mulctuary Money Management, safe in the knowledge that they could finally begin repairing the damage that the literal and metaphorical fires of their lives had inflicted on the people around them.


End file.
